Tag: politics

South Koreans Support Ban on Party: Poll http://t.co/Txlb7FdPTz

— South Korea Daily (@SouthKoreaDaily) December 22, 2014

Lee Jung-hee, the head of the minor opposition Unified Progressive Party (UPP), speaks to reporters in front of the Constitutional Court in Seoul on Dec. 19, 2014, after the court ordered the disbandment of the party, which holds five seats in the 300-member parliament. Several UPP members, including Rep. Lee Seok-ki, have been convicted of plotting to overthrow the government in the event of a war with North Korea. (Yonhap)

For anyone that wants to discuss the midterm election results from last night here is the place to do it.  I for one do not see much changing, but it will be interesting to see if the media will blame gridlock in Washington on Democrats now when they use the filibuster instead of Republicans?  The biggest thing I am concerned about is sequestration beginning again next year.  Will the Republicans do anything to address this?

I think this just shows how powerful name recognition can be in a national election because I cannot think of one thing Ban Ki-moon has done at the United Nations that is noteworthy other than being the first Asian Secretary General:

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s confidants have sounded out the possibility of Ban’s running for president in his native South Korea, an opposition politician claimed Monday, despite Ban’s apparent objection to get involved in local politics.

Ban’s second five-year term is set to end at the end of 2016, a year before South Koreans go to the polls to elect a new president who will replace President Park Geun-hye.

Park’s single five-year term ends in early 2018, and by law, she cannot seek re-election.

Kwon Roh-kap, an adviser to the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy, claimed people seen as confidants to Ban discussed the possibility of Ban’s running for South Korea’s top office on the opposition ticket.

He said he told Ban’s confidants that he respects the U.N. chief and that the opposition should ask Ban to join the party and compete in the party’s primary for the presidential nomination for the election.  [Yonhap]

You can read more at the link.

(Image from KoreaBANG)

Saenuri lawmaker Rep. Kwon Seong-dong using company time and bandwidth to explore extracurricular pursuits.  [Via Marmot’s Hole]

You can read more about who Rep. Kwon is checking out at the link.